1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to ladders and, more particularly, to safety devices for ground-supported ladders.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a user ascends a ladder, safety is of utmost importance. Ladder safety, in fact, is so important that many industries and companies require various safety procedures when using ladders. One telecommunications service provider, for example, requires that a technician utilize a special safety procedure to secure a ladder to prevent sliding/slippage as the technician ascends the ladder. This safety procedure requires much time and effort before the ladder can be extended and ascended. Because this safety procedure requires much time and effort, repairs take longer.
One example of these safety procedures involves communications cables. Sometimes a technician must access a terminal to provide communications service to a customer. Although most terminals are readily accessible (such as when mounted on utility poles), some terminals are not so easily accessed. Some terminals, in fact, are located far from a utility pole, and the technician must lean a ladder on a communications cable. When the technician must lean/prop the ladder against a communications cable, the safety procedures are very strict. The safety procedures require the technician to “tie” the ladder to the communications cable. That is, the technician must wrap a rope around the ladder and the communications cable, and the rope must be tied with a special knot. This safety procedure is time consuming, and the required, special knot is difficult to master. Even though the ladder is “tied off,” the ladder can sometimes still slide along the communications cable and compromise stability. There is, accordingly, a need in the art for new methods of securing a ladder, a need in the art for an apparatus that allows a user to secure a ladder, and a need in the art for an apparatus that is quickly and easily adapted to various situations/applications.